USDA Action. The results of the 10 years of SARE research have been incorporated in a series of publications referred to as "Farming for Profit, Stewardship and Community." These include two-page "tip sheets" on ten topics of interest to small farmers that were prepared by CSREE's SARE program with widespread input from educators and farmers--e.g., soil improvement, marketing, pest management, farm planning. 

Ten thousand copies of tip sheets about the SARE research have been distributed to USDA field offices (e.g., Service Centers (FSA/NRCS/RD), Cooperative Extension, Risk Management Agency), nonprofit organizations, and farmers and ranchers.  They are also on the World Wide Web
(http://www.sare.org/tipsheet/index.htm),
and featured at conferences such as the National Small Farm Conference, the Small Farm Today trade show and the North Central SARE marketing conference. 

A series of ads--one of which is about the tip sheets and how to get them, both on the web and by mail--is underway in Small Farm Today magazine and may be expanded to other publications. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2).

USDA Action. To identify places where small farms have a particularly high reliance on pesticide and nutrient use, staff of CSREES-ECS and the SARE program are working with ERS and NASS to examine the potential use of their surveys. After an evaluation of the different survey tools, they developed a strategy that would link the production information for a particular crop from one survey with economic data for another survey.  

Linking this information could potentially help separate use of pesticides and nutrients by size of farm based on gross sales. The issue still to be resolved is the geographic scale of resolution for determining the farms with a higher reliance of inputs. The scale may be too large to help in developing a targeted outreach strategy for sustainable agriculture information. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2).

USDA Action. USDA will implement the recommendation when the organic rule is finalized. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2).  The Organic Final Rule has been published. AMS is preparing for final implementation, compliance with standards and certifications requirements by August, 2002.

USDA Action. Director of Sustainable Development carried out action plan for USDA participation in the National Town Meeting on Sustainable Development which was held May 2-5, 1999, in  Detroit, MI. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). Will continue to purse. 

USDA Action. Director of Sustainable Development carried out action plan for USDA participation in the National Town Meeting on Sustainable Development which was held May 2-5, 1999, in  Detroit, MI. 

Status: Will continue to pursue. 

USDA Action. In response to the Small Farm Commission's recommendation that CSREES encourage universities and colleges to enhance their coursework in sustainable agriculture and organic farming, CSREES developed a two-page guide for educators, including sources of information on sustainable agriculture education, examples of projects that have developed coursework, and sources of funding. 

The guide, "Sustainable Agriculture Resources for University and College Educators," has been mounted on the web on the education page of the Sustainable Agriculture Network (http://www.sare.org/htdocs/dev/asresources.html) and publicized through the mail groups sanet-mg and SAEd-Share-L. (Information on those two Internet lists is in the guide.)

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). Ongoing.

USDA Action.  No specific legislative actions have been taken. The Forest Service continues to monitor legislative activity as it relates to the Treaty. The Forest Service also will continue to administer permits under existing regulations for the protection of the environment and the individuals who hold livestock grazing permits. 

Status: Not implemented (code 4). Long term. The Forest Service will continue to monitor. 

USDA Action. An ERS Staff Report on "The Economic Importance of Grazing and Public Lands to Western Communities" is undergoing review and clearance within the Agency. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). The final report will be developed into an article for a Winter (1999-2000) issue of the ERS Agricultural Outlook magazine and/or as a special article for the ERS Dairy, Livestock and Poultry Report.

USDA Action. Current regulations and direction do not preclude the development of grassbanks. Allotments that are vacant and not under permit may be used as grassbanks on individual National Forests.  

When all other options have been utilized, including grassbanks on a temporary basis, a permit reduction may be the only reasonable means of complying with environmental laws and protecting the natural resources.  

Status: Not implemented (code 4). Long term. The Forest Service will continue to monitor. 

USDA Action. The Forest Service   continues to actively participate in CRM teams when they are activated within a state. The Food Service believes this is a successful process that is working well when used and will continue to participate in CRM team development. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1).

A full-time, sustainable technical force should be create to provide ongoing research in the monitoring and management of public lands. 

USDA Action. Current law and regulations require that livestock grazing fees be returned to the U.S. Treasury for subsequent distribution to States and for livestock grazing improvements as authorized by law.  

The Food Service continues to use the best available science in its decision making process. New research is reviewed for applicability to livestock grazing management as it is published.  

The technical work force of the Forest Service continues to monitor and evaluate the use of rangelands. 

Status: Not implemented (code 4). Long term. The technical work force of the Forest Service continues to monitor and evaluate the use of rangelands. 

USDA Action. On September 23, 1998, Secretary Glickman announced an innovative new insurance pilot program called Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR).

AGR is a whole farm revenue product that provides protection against low farm revenue due to unavoidable natural disasters and market fluctuation that occurs during the insurance year. Covered farm revenue includes income from crops, other agricultural commodities, and incidental amounts of income from livestock and animal products and aquaculture reared in a controlled environment.

Beginning with the 2001 crop year, AGR is now available in 17 states: CT, DE, FL, ID, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, and WA (please note: AGR is not available in all counties). The sales closing date for obtaining insurance for AGR is January 31 of each year. Claims are settled when taxes are filed for the insurance year and other Federal crop insurance claims are finalized. For more information on AGR, visit our website at-http://www.rma.usda.gov/

Status. Fully implemented (code 1). Will continue to monitor. 

USDA Action. NRCS has exercised restraint in approving exceptions to the 1,000 animal-unit limitation in EQIP. No exceptions have been granted to date. In FY 2000 budget, additional EQIP funds are proposed to: 

1. boost the level of financial assistance available to operators of animal feeding operations; and 
2. to allow for an increase in financial assistance to small and limited resource farmers. 

USDA Action. An NRCS National Headquarters (NHQ) ESA committee has been appointed. The committee has begun revisions of the current NRCS guidance which supports the NRCS-ESA policy.  

This guidance modification will provide further clarification and direction for conducting formal and informal consultation procedures with US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.  

This process will enable NRCS field staff to be more responsive to the needs of landowners involved with endangered species and habitats.  

As a pilot project, NRCS in Texas is utilizing "Safe Harbor: assurances for private landowners. Texas procedures will be reviewed by the NHQ-ESA committee as a potential model for use by other State Technical Committees. This model will used for implementing incentives or assurances for small farm and ranch operators to comply with the ESA.  

Additional information briefs, training sessions, and discussions on this topic will be conducted at the National Fish and Wildlife Biologists Workshop in April 1999. 

A model strategy for streamlining consultations has been developed on a regional level by an interagency task force in New Mexico and Arizona. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). NRCS is actively involved in the policy revision process.

USDA Action. On-going projects are numerous, including: 

• the May 1998 Economic Opportunities for Tribal Lands and People Using Special Forest Products 
• Underserved Forest Landowner Workshops (several in Mississippi) 
• the January 1999 Southern Landowner Outreach Conference. 

Status. Fully implemented (code 1).

USDA Action. Seeking to train NRCS professionals and conduct an outreach campaign to encourage foresters and resource professionals to include potential commercial value in plans and to incorporate the forest land plan into the rest of the farm plan.  

Additional funding is required to fully implement recommendation and is linked to recommendations in Policy Goal 7. NRCS is implementing on a limited basis. 

Status: Partially implemented (code 2). State Foresters continue to schedule and provide training on a regular and routine basis. Funding remains an issue. 

USDA Action. Nursery Products - On October 23, 1998, Secretary Glickman announced improvements to the crop insurance program that covers growers of nursery crops.  

The improvements beginning with the 1999 crop year to the nursery crop insurance program include providing coverage to both container-grown and field-grown plants. Formerly, only container-grown plants were eligible.  

Under the old plan, growers had to submit monthly inventories; now they only have to declare the amount of insurance needed when they apply for the coverage.  

Also, under the old plan, growers paid a full year's premium based on their highest level of inventory, even when the increase was temporary.  

Now, growers can buy peak coverage only when needed, and their annual premium is not based on a temporary inventory. Producers buying a nursery policy for the first time had until May 31, 1999, to obtain coverage.  

Christmas trees -RMA is not pursuing an insurance program since a company provides insurance. IGF Insurance Company provides coverage for christmas trees in a "Timberplus" Policy in 26 states. 

Status: Fully implemented (code 1). Will continue to monitor.